Contextual Factors that Enhance and Impair Directed Motivational Currents in Instructed L2 Classroom Settings

There is a growing interest in research on Directed Motivational Currents (DMC) that describes highly robust motivational surges in second/foreign language learning (L2). However, little is known about the validity of DMC as a construct in the Turkish EFL context. Besides, despite the alleged pedagogical significance of the construct, it still remains unexplored whether and to what extent the contextual factors in L2 classroom settings exert influence on DMC-type motivation. Against this background, the current study set out to meet two primary objectives: (1) to examine the contextual factors that affect learners’ DMC-induced motivational trajectory either positively or negatively in L2 classrooms; (2) to provide further evidence on the validity of DMC model.To this end, the study utilized a database of four weeks of interview data collected from 2 focal EFL (English as a foreign language) learners, each studying in a different language classroom in a private university in Turkey. In total, 8 interviews were conducted. The interview data were examined using qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis.The findings show that DMC experience is enhanced and impaired by a wide range of micro-level factors in the classroom which could be examined under two main themes: classroom climate and exam pressure. Overall, the findings not only add to literature on the validity of DMC, but also offer implications for how to facilitate the pedagogical use of DMC-type motivation in language classrooms.

İkinci Dil Öğrenimi Sınıf Ortamında Hedefli Motivasyonel Akımları Güçlendiren ve Zayıflatan Faktörler

İkinci/yabancı dil öğreniminde oldukça güçlü motivasyon dalgalarını niteleyen Hedefli Motivasyonel Akımlar modeline karşı artan bir araştırma ilgisi vardır. Ancak, modelin Türkiye bağlamında geçerliliğine ilişkin oldukça az bilgi bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca, modelin iddia edilen pedagojik önemine karşın, sınıf ortamıyla alakalı bağlamsal faktörlerin bu motivasyon türünü etkileyip etkilemediği ya da ne ölçüde etkilediği henüz incelenmemiştir. Bu temelde, bu çalışmanın iki amacı vardır: (1) hedefli motivasyonel akımlar olarak tanımlanan motivasyon türünü deneyimleyen katılımcıların motivasyonel durumlarını sınıf ortamında olumlu ya da olumsuz etkileyen bağlamsal faktörleri araştırmak, (2) modelin geçerliliğine ilişkin ek kanıt sunmak. Bu amaçla çalışma, her biri Türkiyedeki özel bir üniversitede iki ayrı sınıfta İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen 2 öğrenciden 4 hafta boyunca toplanan mülakat verilerini kullanmaktadır. Toplamda 8 mülakat yapılmıştır. Veriler nitel içerik analizi ve tematik analiz yöntemi ile incelenmiştir. Bulgular söz konusu motivasyon türünün sınıf ortamında sınıf iklimi ve sınav baskısı temaları altında incelenebilecek küçük çaplı birçok faktörden olumlu ve olumsuz anlamda etkilendiğini göstermektedir. Genel olarak, bulgular söz konusu motivasyon türünün geçerliliğine dair ek kanıt sunmakta, ayrıca bu motivasyon türünün dil sınıflarında pedagojik kullanımının kolaylaştırımasına ilişkin çıkarımlar sunmaktadır.

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